I LOVE Running (Seriously)

I am not against running.  Running is good.

I am against speed limping.  99% of the time, speed limping is what I see when people tell me they’re running.

Speed limping will lead to orthopedic and tissue injuries.  It’s not a matter of “if” it will, it’s a matter of “when” it will.  These injuries may be acute or chronic, both.

Additionally, speed limping is nowhere near the most efficient method of losing body fat.  This has been established so many times over through both research and practical experience it really isn’t even worth discussing further.

Once again, just turn on the Olympics and tell me I’m wrong.  Look at the marathoners and the sprinters.  The sprinters are obviously healthier and more aesthetically pleasing.  If that isn’t obvious to you, then you probably need a mental health professional, not a trainer.  Stop reading this immediately and seek the counsel of a qualified psycho-analyst.   No, seriously.

The only time speed limping should ever be incorporated into a training program is if one is preparing for a competition where it is a necessary part of the competition.  And even then, not as much as most people think.

For example, if I trained a boxer, we would both understand that at some point in his training, he’s going to have to get punched in the face.  This does not mean I would recommend getting punched in the face to a client who wants to be lean and healthy.

Ditto for yogging/speed limping whatever.  If you’re training for a competition that has that aspect of competition, then obviously it will have to make up part of your program (boldface, underline, italicize “PART”.) 

But I wouldn’t recommend it as a training protocol to someone looking to be healthy and lean, just like I wouldn’t recommend getting punched in the face.

To quote Jack Nicholson in “A Few Good Men”:

Are we clear?